Silo-material-handling mechanism.



I. C. SPAETH & B. VINAR.

SILO MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISIVI.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 1914.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I COLUMBIA PL'ANOGRAPH Co.. WASHINGTON. D, c.

J. C. SPAETH @L B. VINAR. sfLo MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM. v

'APPLICATION FlLED APR. 9. 19|4. A A 1,168,123, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll c.

' narran srarns Partnr-@ENGR JOSEPH C. SPAETH AND BOHUMIR-VINAE, F DWYER, VVYO*l-KING',A

sIvvLo-MATnn-IaL-HANDLING ME criait-isili.V

Specification of LettersPatenu `P3Jten1gedlang 1:1-, 1,916,

Application mea Aprile, 1914. serial 'No'. sach-7o. j

j for its primary object to provide an under-` ground siloof Vimproved and simplified construction andpwhich will be 'highl'yefficient Y 1n use.

Another object is to construct a sectional silo which maybe readily assembled or taken apart and which may be formed,` of such material that the parts will not be subject to the changes in the climate, thereby eliminating dangerof the parts'warping and admitting dampness and moisture to the con-4 tents of the silo` l Another object is to provide a device of this character including a shaft o'set from the main portionof the' silo, whereby a bucket may be lowered and raised in the shaft by means of a cable extending downwardly inthe main portion ofl the silo.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of thisv Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through the upper portion ofa silo constructed in accordance with our invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the silo with the hood removed, Fig. 3 is an elevationalview vof a portion of the bucket and the suspending andv operating means for the same, Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of thek latch mechanism carried by the bucket, Fig. 5 is a fragmen,

tary detail View, showing the lower portion of the ybracing framer and the mannerv in 'i' :which the same fis connected with the bucket handle, andI Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View of the upper central'uportion of the"` hood with the ventilation'pipe projecting theref through 4and having `the funnel and vanev mounted thereon.V Fig. 7 is a cross on theline 7-7 of'Fig. 1. n 1

Referring in detail to the drawings by numerals,l` designatesvthe sections of the main portion of the silowhich are of subfV stantially circular form and which' have theirlupper andlower edges resting upon one vanother'. The sectionsl are secured to# gether by bolts 2 or other suitable Vmeans en.-V

section gaged through the ,inwardly directed angle irons, the opposite angles offwhich `are se# cured to the sections 1, along the edgestheref of. Any number' of sections 1 may be employed,it being understood that theconnecting sectionsfafre all beneath the ground and a ladder 4 is. secured to the inwardly v directedA angles ofthe angle irons 3, pref-1 erably adjacent the opening 5 in thekwalll of` the main or. body portionlof the silo,.sai`d opening 5V being formed by cutting away a portion of each section 1'.

.It will4 be understood that-thel opening 5 extends longitudinally the full length of the silo and a shaft is formed bysubstantially- U-shaped members 6f having theiry edges vresting upon ,one` another andl positioned ,out-

wardly.- ofl the opening, lsaid substantially Ushaped member 6 being'preferably formed with the sections l of the main portion of the silo. Itwill be understood that the right angledy members or angle irons 3 are extended along the'opposite edges of the substantially U-shaped members. .6 and .the bolts 2 engagedk through the inwardly ,directedv` angles ofsaid angle irons 3, along the edges' ofthe members 6 V'serve to securelyfasten together said'members 6 and,preventmoisfv turel from entering the* shaft or silo body.

Within each end; of the shaft and secured to theinner face thereof is achannel iron guide. 7 ,which extends longitudinally of the shaft and projectsfor a. slight distanceabove the same, the upperend of each channel iron guide 7 being flared, as shown at.8,`whereby the rollers 9 mounted upon thevpinions 10 y projecting from the portions ofthe handle 1l secured to theopposite sides of the bucket 12, may readily enter saidf channel iron guides 7 to guide the bucket 12initsvertical move-y ment in the shaft. rEhe handle ll is prefer# pel ' ing eye 20 of the carriage 21.

ably of substantially U-shaped form, with its main portion extending transversely above the bucket 12, the lower extremities of said handle 11 being pivoted to the outer face of the sides of the bucket 12, adjacent the bottom thereof, as shown at 13.

Secured to the central or main portion of the handle 11 is the looped member 14, in the eye 15 of which is secured one end of a cable 1G connected with a suitable pulley 17, such as employed in the well known VVeston tackle. The pully 17 is mounted in a supporting bracket 13, which is car-V ried by the hook 19 engaged in the dependhe upper portion of the carriage 21 is bifurcated and the apertured sides thereof extend up' wardly upon the opposite sides of the inclined track 22 Awhich is formed of an I-beam, said carriage 21 having a pair of wheels 23 engaged upon each lower flange of the track 22. When the carriage 21 is at the upper end of the inclined track 22, the bucket 12 is directly above the shaft and further movement in this direction of the carriage 21 upon said track 22 is prevented by the stop 24. Movement of the carriage in the opposite direction upon the track 22 is limited by the lower stop 25, a spaced distance from the lower end of the track 22. The track 22 is supported by the post 26, the lower end of said track 22 being mounted in the upper end of said post whichlatter is spaced 'a suitable distance from the silo.

By proper manipulation of the chain 27 connected with the pulley 17 and depending in the main or body portion of the silo, the operator may vreadily draw the carriage 21 to position at the upper end of the track 22 and above the shaft. By the proper operation of the cord 28, the operator may also withdraw the stop member 29 from the track 22, said stop 29 being carried by the carriage 21 and normally engaged through a suitable opening in the track 22 forwardly of one of the wheels 23 of the carriage 21, to prevent movement of the vsaid carriage toward the lower end of said track 22. After the stop member 29 has been withdrawn from the track 22, the carriage 21 and bucket 12 will move by gravity toward the lower end of the track 22. Movement of the carriage 21 in this direction will be prevented, however, by the lower stop member 25, previously mentioned. About the same time that the carriage 21 engages the lower stop member 25, thepbucket 12 will be opposite the latch engaging Varm 30 which extends downwardly and toward the silo, from the track 22, the upper end of said arm 30 being secured to the track 22 at its under face and adjacent the lower end thereof. The latch engaging arm 30 is braced by means of the brace bar 31 connected therewith and with the track 22. The pivoted triangular latch releasing member 32, mounted upcn the handle 11 engages the free end of the latch arm 30, as the bucket 12 moves to position opposite said arm 30, thereby causing the pivoted latch releasing member 32 to swing upon its pivot and draw the latch 3% from within the latch opening 35 in the upper edge of the bucket 12, to permit said bucket 12 to swing to inverted position and thereby release the contents ofsaid bucket, it being understood that the latch 31 is connected with one free corner of the triangular pivoted latch releasing member 32, by means of the cord 36. Y

After the contents of the bucket V12 have been deposited upon the ground between the post 26 and the silo, the operator, while within the silo, may manipulate the chains 27 to return the carriage 21 andmbucket 12 to position above the shaft with the wheels 23 of the carriage 21 at the upper end of vthe track 22. vThis return of the carriage 21 and bucket 12 to normal position above the shaft yis preferably accomplished by pulling downwardly upon both chains 27 and after the stop member 29 has been allowed to enter the opening provided therefor in the track 22 to prevent downwardmovement of the carriage 21 upon the track 22, the operator may manipulate the chains 27 to allow the bucket 12 to descend in the channel guides 7 while the bucket is still in inverted position. After the bucket 12 has reached the desiredpoint in the shaft and channel guides, the operator may readily return said bucket 12 to upright position by swinging the same upon vthe pivot members 13 upon which the lower ends of the handle 11 are mounted. When swinging the bucket 12 to upright position, the upper end thereof swings through the opening 5 and as soon as said bucket is in proper poico sition, the-y latch member 34: will automatically engage in the latch vopening 35 provided therefore in the upper edge of said bucket 12 and prevent said bucket 12 from swinging in the handle 11. It Vwill be understood that the chains 27 and rope 28 pass over a roller 36 rotatably mounted upon the shaft 37 .which has its opposite ends secured to the upper edge of the `main or body portion of the silo in such manner that the main portion of said shaft is positioned over the Lipper end of the opening 5.

En order to prevent the handle 11 and bucket 12 from swinging independently of the carriage 21, we have provided a substantially U-shapcd bracing frame 38 which has its main portion engaged through the carriage 21 by the legs of said substantially U- shaped bracing member 38 extending downwardly from opposite sides of the frame 21 and have their lower extremities bifurcated, as shown at 39, and engaged upon the opposite sides of the main portion of the handle l1. It will therefore be yseen that as the carriage 2l moves toward the opposite ends of the track 22, the handle 11 and bucket l2 will be rigidly held in proper position beneath the same and prevented from swinging to either side or back and forth. j

This will permit the operator to readily release the member 29 to readily release the bucket l2 and permit the same to descend between the channel guides 7, as soon as the carriage 2l has been secured at the upper end of the track 22.

It will be understood that a-hood 40 is positioned upon the'ground around the edge of the uppermost section and has a substantially conical top 4l, through the apex 42 of which projects the upper end of the ventilation pipe 43 which extends downwardly against the inner face of the top fil and then against one side of the main or body portion of the silo, said ventilation pipe 43 being preferably7 formed of removable sections which may be readily attached and connected by means of locking lugs 44 and bayonet slots 45 or any other suitable means, as the ensilage is removedV from the silo. Rotatably mounted upon the upper extremity of the ventilation pipe L3 is an inlet elbow 46, the free end of which is flared, as shown at 47, whereby air may readily enter the ventilation pipe and be conducted to the interior of the silo. A ring 4:7 projects from the turned portion of the elbow a6 and preferably extends in an opposite direction to that in which the free end of said elbow extends, whereby the elbow may be readily rotated by the air currents, as will be readily understood.

It will be seen that owing to the manner in which our silo is constructed, it may be readily operated by one man, instead of requiring the time and services of two or more men, as has heretofore been necessary with other forms of silos, and as we have emploved metal in constructing the silo, and place the same below the ground surface, the silo requires no painting and danger of the ensilage freezing is eliminated. Further, deterioration of the ensilage is avoided, as it is impossible for air to reach the same by entering the silo between the parts thereof, as in the silos formed of wood and the like and located above the ground surface, and it is further impossible for the silo to be affected or blown down by air currents, as

lfrequently happens to the above ground to the vbucket operating mechanism, willbe eliminated. v

While we have shown and described the vpreferred embodiment of our invention, it vwill be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a shaft, guide members extending longitudinally of said shaft and projecting from the upper end thereof, the upper extremities of said guide members being flared, a bucket adapted for vertical movement between said guides, means carried by said bucket for engagement with said guides, a carriage, said bucket being suspended from said carriage, a guide roller carried by one wall of said shaft, a track for said carriage, means for locking said carriage against movement upon said track, means engaged over said guide roller and connected with the locking means to release the same, and means engaged over said roller for controlling movement of said carriage between said guides.

2. In adevice of the class described, a.

shaft, a track positioned upon an incline and having its upper end extended over the shaft, a carriage mounted for movement upon said track, means for locking said carriage at the upper end of said track, means for releasing said locking means, a pulley suspended from said carriage, chains mounted upon said pulley, a bucket suspended by said chains, a handle carried by said bucket, a latch member carried by said handle and engaged with the bucket to prevent turningwof the latter, and a latch engaging arm at the lower end of said track for engagement with the vlatch member to disengage the latter from the bucket.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. y

JOSEPH C. SPAETI-I. BOHUMIR VINAR. Y Witnesses:

TONY LUMSKA, GEO. O. HoUsER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing thel Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

